Enterprises across Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC) have moved beyond debating whether AI delivers value and are now navigating how to deploy it at scale, securely and sustainably. According to the Dell Technologies Modern Enterprise Readiness Study 2026, a survey based on 2,950 business and IT decision-makers across 35 countries, including 950 across APJC, enterprises that close the gap between AI ambition and operational readiness are best positioned to lead the region’s next phase of growth.
As AI moves from experimentation to business-critical deployment, the enterprises that pull ahead across APJC will be those that close the gap between ambition and readiness. This research makes clear that success depends on more than AI software. It requires a modern foundation of secure data, AI-ready infrastructure, controlled energy footprints, and trusted partnerships. For organisations navigating macroeconomic pressure and rising governance demands, modernising that foundation is now the deciding factor in whether AI scales into predictable, measurable business value.
Ambition is Outpacing Execution
Nearly six in ten (59%) APJC organisations say they cannot keep pace with the speed of change, and 58% lack an actionable roadmap spanning AI, data, and security. Macroeconomic pressure is sharpening the stakes: 85% say they are being more selective and outcome-driven in their technology investments, and 72% will not move forward with new AI initiatives without proven business outcomes and a defined risk management plan.
“Across APJC, the conversation has fundamentally changed. Organisations are no longer asking whether AI can deliver value; they are asking how to deploy it at scale, securely, and sustainably” said Richard McLaughlin, president, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, Dell Technologies.
“The ‘AI Execution Gap’ is real, and organisations that act decisively now can bridge this gap. What this research makes clear is that success in the AI era depends on more than technology alone. Enterprises must simplify fragmented environments, embed security from the outset, and transition toward co-creative strategic partnerships focused on long-term execution and measurable business impact.”
Data Sovereignty and Security Are Defining the Boundaries of AI Strategy
As AI becomes business-critical, data governance has moved from a compliance function to a strategic priority. 72% of respondents say their data and IP are too valuable to place in third-party GenAI tools, and an equal proportion cite regulatory compliance as a core concern. Two-thirds (67%) have already slowed or paused AI adoption due to security and compliance issues, with most requiring partners to demonstrate clear risk management plans before any new initiative moves forward.
Infrastructure Is the Bottleneck Most Organisations Didn’t Expect
Legacy environments were not built for AI at production scale. 84% of APJC organisations identify storage performance and data access, rather than compute capacity, as their primary technical barrier. 69% say their data centres are not yet ready to support demanding AI workloads. In response, 91% plan to consolidate onto fewer, more capable platforms, and 93% now mandate integrated cyber-recovery capabilities as a baseline requirement.
Power has also emerged as a defining constraint on growth, placing sustainability at the heart of infrastructure planning. 85% cite energy limits as a core purchasing factor, and 80% say they will only scale AI where energy footprints can be kept under control.
Shadow AI Is Already Inside the Enterprise
The gap between centrally approved AI strategy and day-to-day workforce behavior is widening fast. 83% of respondents report employees using personal devices to access AI tools for work, and 62% have found unapproved AI tools on company devices. The trend even extends to spending, with 67% saying teams are expensing AI tools on departmental credit cards without IT oversight.
At the same time, 82% say legacy PCs are actively limiting their ability to adopt AI-enabled applications, making endpoint modernisation an urgent priority alongside infrastructure investment.
That momentum is set to reshape the workplace, with 94% of APJC organisations believing AI PCs will play a central role in their future workplace strategy.
The Partnership Model Is Being Rebuilt Around Shared Accountability
Enterprise expectations of technology partners are shifting fundamentally. 81% of APJC organisations report replacing transactional vendors with strategic partners who co-create multi-year roadmaps and share responsibility for business outcomes. 89% believe their existing partners should be doing more, and 90% expect security to be embedded into every proposal rather than treated as a separate consideration.
About the Modern Enterprise Readiness Study 2026
Dell Technologies commissioned Vanson Bourne to survey 2,950 business and IT decision-makers from organisations with more than 100 employees across 35 countries in June 2026. 950 respondents were from APJC.